Britain goes bong-kers over Big Ben's Brexit role

London | As Britain prepares for Brexit Day on January 31 - among the most seismic moments in its recent political history - the nation is focused on the issues that really matter. The foremost of these, of course is: will Big Ben bong for Brexit, or won't it?

The front-page furore got started because Brexit's most vocal cheerleaders have long cherished the hope that the world-renowned Big Ben bell would ring in the new era of freedom at 11pm (midnight European time) on that fateful Friday, with celebrating masses gathered in Parliament Square.

The controversial renovation has spurred quite a ding-dong. AP

Brexiteer-in-chief Nigel Farage has official permission to host a Brexit party in the square, although a request to let off fireworks has reportedly been turned down.

The problem is that the famous bell and the Elizabeth Tower that houses it are undergoing a four-year restoration. With the exception of a recent remembrance day and the New Year's Eve just gone, the 13.7-tonne Big Ben has been silent since August 2017.

The chiming mechanism has since been removed, as has the belfry floor. To restore the bong capability, the floor would need to be temporarily reinstalled. The parliamentary authorities reckon the cost of getting Big Ben ready to chime at the month's end would be in the order of £500,000 ($944,000).

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That hasn't deterred bullish Brexiteers. “It seems to me and many of my colleagues in the House of Commons patently daft that we have got the most iconic clock in the world – literally, it’s a world heritage site – that that should stay silent on this occasion,” Tory MP Mark Francois said.

We’re working up a plan so people can bung a bob for a Big Ben bong.

— Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Still, there seemed no overcoming this obstacle, until Prime Minister Boris Johnson set hares running on Tuesday with a suggestion that if it meant that much to people, they could crowdfund the half-million quid and make it happen.

“We’re working up a plan so people can bung a bob for a Big Ben bong, because there are some people who want to,” Johnson told the BBC.

But it quickly turned out that this wasn't exactly true.

In his previous incarnation as a shouty columnist, Johnson would have been leading the charge for commonsense against the bureaucratic nay-sayers. As PM, however, he has a responsibility not to fritter away taxpayers' cash. More importantly, he needs to heal the divisions of three years of Brexit rancour, rather than side with the triumphalist Leavers.

So it wasn't long before Johnson's staff were rowing back his suggestion, suggesting that if people cared that much, they could raise the money themselves. Crowdfunding duly got underway, and quickly hit six figures.

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Then came a new obstacle: the parliamentary authorities weren't technically able to accept private cash to carry out this public purpose.

"The House of Commons authorities have set out that there may be potential difficulties in accepting money from public donations," Johnson's spokesman said on Thursday.

Cue another hue and cry against the pettifogging authorities.

"The money is literally pouring in and I cannot believe that if we hit the target the Prime Minister will abandon a campaign he himself effectively launched two days ago," said Francois, by now a 24-7 media mouthpiece.

The PM's spokesman said there were other ways to mark this "significant moment in our history" and "ensure that it’s properly recorded” - with details to follow.

Farage and his crew have a Plan B for Big Ben, though. If the real thing stays mute, "we will recreate the sound with our powerful speaker system".

It wasn't the Brexiteers' intention, but given that Britain is moving only into a transition period rather than Brexit proper, maybe this halfway-house solution is actually just the right metaphor.

Hans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London. Connect with Hans on Twitter. Email Hans at hans.vanleeuwen@afr.com

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